GFDL:List of maria on the Moon
Revision as of 10:01, 12 April 2004 by 217.224.3.132 (de:)
The Lunar maria (singular: mare) are large, dark, basaltic plains on Earth's Moon, formed by ancient basaltic flood eruptions caused by extremely large meteoroid impacts. They were dubbed maria, Latin for "seas", by early astronomers who mistook them for actual seas. The maria cover 16% of the lunar surface.
Most of the volcanic eruptions that produced the maria occurred at many points along fissures around the edges of the impact basins. The basaltic lava usually flowed out in several distinct episodes over the course of many thousands of years, well after the initial formation of the basins themselves.
| Latin Name | English Name | Lat | Long | Diameter (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mare Anguis | Serpent Sea | 22.6N | 67.7E | 150 |
| Mare Australe | Southern Sea | 38.9S | 93.0E | 603 |
| Mare Cognitum | Sea that has become known | 10.0S | 23.1W | 376 |
| Mare Crisium | Sea of Crises | 17.0N | 59.1E | 418 |
| Mare Fecunditatis | Sea of Fecundity | 7.8S | 51.3E | 909 |
| Mare Frigoris | Sea of Cold | 56.0N | 1.4E | 1596 |
| Mare Humboldtianum | Sea of Alexander von Humboldt | 56.8N | 81.5E | 273 |
| Mare Humorum | Sea of Moisture | 24.4S | 38.6W | 389 |
| Mare Imbrium | Sea of Showers | 32.8N | 15.6W | 1123 |
| Mare Ingenii | Sea of Cleverness | 33.7S | 163.5E | 318 |
| Mare Insularum | Sea of Islands | 7.5N | 30.9W | 513 |
| Mare Marginis | Sea of the Edge | 13.3N | 86.1E | 420 |
| Mare Moscoviense | Sea of Muscovy | 27.3N | 147.9E | 277 |
| Mare Nectaris | Sea of Nectar | 15.2S | 35.5E | 333 |
| Mare Nubium | Sea of Clouds | 21.3S | 16.6W | 715 |
| Mare Orientale | Eastern sea | 19.4S | 92.8W | 327 |
| Mare Serenitatis | Sea of Serenity | 28.0N | 17.5E | 707 |
| Mare Smythii | Sea of William Henry Smyth | 1.3N | 87.5E | 373 |
| Mare Spumans | Foaming Sea | 1.1N | 65.1E | 139 |
| Mare Tranquillitatis | Sea of Tranquility | 8.5N | 31.4E | 873 |
| Mare Undarum | Sea of Waves | 6.8N | 68.4E | 243 |
| Mare Vaporum | Sea of Vapors | 13.3N | 3.6E | 245 |
| Oceanus Procellarum | Ocean of Storms | 18.4N | 57.4W | 2568 |
A related set of features are the Lunar lacus (singular, lacus, Latin for "lake"), which are smaller basaltic plains of similar origin:
| Latin Name | English Name | Lat | Long | Diameter (km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacus Aestatis | Lake of Summer | 15.0S | 69.0W | 90 |
| Lacus Autumni | Lake of Autumn | 9.9S | 83.9W | 183 |
| Lacus Bonitatis | Lake of Goodness | 23.2N | 43.7E | 92 |
| Lacus Doloris | Lake of Sorrow | 17.1N | 9.0E | 110 |
| Lacus Excellentiae | Lake of Excellence | 35.4S | 44.0W | 184 |
| Lacus Felicitatis | Lake of Happiness | 19.0N | 5.0E | 90 |
| Lacus Gaudii | Lake of Joy | 16.2N | 12.6E | 113 |
| Lacus Hiemalis | Wintry Lake | 15.0N | 14.0E | 50 |
| Lacus Lenitatis | Lake of Softness | 14.0N | 12.0E | 80 |
| Lacus Luxuriae | Lake of Luxury | 19.0N | 176.0E | 50 |
| Lacus Mortis | Lake of Death | 45.0N | 27.2E | 151 |
| Lacus Oblivionis | Lake of Forgetfulness | 21.0S | 168.0W | 50 |
| Lacus Odii | Lake of Hatred | 19.0N | 7.0E | 70 |
| Lacus Perseverantiae | Lake of Perseverance | 8.0N | 62.0E | 70 |
| Lacus Solitudinis | Lake of Solitude | 27.8S | 104.3E | 139 |
| Lacus Somniorum | Lake of Dreams | 38.0N | 29.2E | 384 |
| Lacus Spei | Lake of Hope | 43.0N | 65.0E | 80 |
| Lacus Temporis | Lake of Time | 45.9N | 58.4E | 117 |
| Lacus Timoris | Lake of Fear | 38.8S | 27.3W | 117 |
| Lacus Veris | Lake of Spring | 16.5S | 86.1W | 396 |
